Master of Fine Arts in visual arts at FIX University isthe terminal degree within the studio art discipline. Our program offersconcentrations in the studio areas of drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics,photography and sculpture. The primary goal of the program is to providestudents with opportunities to develop a high degree of professional competencein their chosen area of concentration. Interdisciplinary and collaborativeprojects are encouraged within the department. The relatively small size of theprogram encourages students to explore studio areas that will enhance theirmajor area of concentration. In addition, it creates a highly individualizedmethod of instruction. Our students may also take advantage of the opportunityto spend a semesters of study on The FIX University Cultural Campus in Cali,Columbia.

Having the department of art housed on IndependentLearning presents opportunities to interact with various other collegedisciplines. The M.F.A. curriculum is composed of the following art historyand art seminar an in studio thesis. The thesis is primarily art studio inpreparation for a final exhibition with published documentation. Residencies areavailable based upon artist performance and internationalfunding.

Courses

The MFA in Digital Production Arts degree requires liveprojects, of which are devoted to Digital Production Studio, wherein thestudent participates in production work; which are devoted to Graduate ResearchStudio, where students may choose to continue work on an independent project, orpursue a contractual production. The Core Courses, Aesthetics and Theory, fromthe Master's Thesis, and all from Independent Aesthetics and Theorycourses.

Foundations

These courses are intended to address deficiencies in astudent’s background. They will be taken as directed upon examination of thestudent’s portfolio and record of coursework. Students requiring more than twofoundations courses will be asked to make up any extra deficiencies beforeadmission.

DPA 601: Technical Foundations ofDigital Production IIDescription: The mathematicaland algorithmic foundations of computer graphics. Spatial data structures,object oriented programming in C++, mathematics for graphics, 3D graphics API.Prerequisite(s): DPA 401 or permission of the instructor. This course is notpermitted to computer science, computer engineering, or computer informationsystems majors.DPA 602: Visual Foundations of DigitalProduction IDescription: Visualfoundations underlying computer graphics production. Perspective, observationaldrawing, color and value, principles of composition and design, andstoryboarding. Incorporates the studio method, involving students in hands-onwork and the critique process, and stresses examples from the history of art,animation, and film. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor. Course isnot permitted to art or architecturemajors.DPA 603: Visual Foundations of DigitalProduction IIDescription: Extends thefoundation visual principles underlying computer graphics production, begun inDPA 402. Stresses representation of the figure in drawing and the use ofcameras. Incorporates the studio method, and the critique process, and stressesexamples from the history of art, animation, and film. Prerequisite(s): DPA 402or permission of the instructor. Course is not permitted to art or architecturestudents.Core

The core courses provide a broad underlying artistic,technical, and studio methods foundation for advanced study, leading to originalstudio and research work. Although all courses are required, all will be chosentowards the independent learning requirement. All students will complete thefollowing courses:

ArtisticCoreTHEA 687: Stage LightingITheory and practice of stagelighting through an understanding of various lighting instruments, lightingcontrol systems and execution of lightingdesigns.

ART 821: VisualNarrative Students develop visualcommunication skills through the vernacular of cinema, and express concepts andideas in sequential narrative design.

The aesthetics and theory electives provide anintroduction to the analysis and conceptual foundation of visual presentation.Although only one course is required, an additional course may be chosen towardsthe Open Electives requirement. The students will complete all of the followingcourses:

AAH 630: Twentieth Century ArtIAcquaints students with themajor artists’ monuments and issues of the Modern period in art. Throughlecture/discussions and the reading of primary sources, course places the majormodern movements in the context of the period(1860s–1945).

AAH 632: Twentieth Century ArtII Overview of trends in art andarchitecture since World War II. Specific artists, artworks and movements arepresented in a socio/historic context with specific emphasis on the transitionfrom a late-modernist to a post-modernperspective.

ENGL 651: Film Theory andCriticismAdvanced study into the theoryof film/ video making emphasizing understanding a variety of critical methods toapproach a film. Examines the history of film theory and defines the manyschools of film criticism, including realism, formalism, feminism, semiotics,Marxism and expressionism. Prerequisite(s): ENGL357

ENGL 853: VisualCommunication Understanding the language ofimages used in textual and extratextual communication; theories of perception,methods of visual persuasion, gender analysis, and cognitive and aestheticphilosophies of visual rhetoric; technologies of visual communication; andtechnologies of visual production.

PHIL 845:Aesthetics Nature and value of aestheticexperiences and objects. Attention is directed to the roles of and relationshipsamong objects, makers and audiences; interpretation, criticism and aestheticresponse; the contexts and languages of art; the nature of aesthetic value;aesthetics in application; issues in publicpolicy.

IndependentStudies

The Independent Studies provide an opportunity for students to either develop aspecial expertise, or broaden their background to sustain studio and thesiswork. Independent Studies are offered in the areaslisted below. An additional Core Course or an additional Aesthetics and Theorypractices may be used towards this requirement. The student’s thesis committee,subject to review by the DPA Director, may approve other courses. All studentswill complete all course work.

ArtisticElectivesART 605: AdvancedDrawing Advancedlevel studies ofdrawing which explore the synthesis of refined drawing skills and philosophiesof art. Student’s understanding of drawing as a form of art is developed throughstudio practice augmented by critiques, demonstrations, lectures, field tripsand independent research. Prerequisite(s): ART305

ART 611: AdvancedPrintmakingCulmination of process,techniques and individual development. Students are expected to have masteredprocess and technique for the benefit of the image produced. Creativity andself-expression are highly emphasized as students select a process forconcentrated study. Prerequisite(s): ART311

ART 617: Advanced CeramicArts Students are directed towardfurther development of ideas and skills. Glaze calculation and firing processesare incorporated to allow for a dynamic integration of form and ideas.Prerequisite(s): ART 317

THEA 672:ImprovisationPractical applications usingdrama as a learning tool to strengthen writing skills, motivate collaborationand heighten analytical skills. Students use improvisation to analyze texts andto revise original work, consider theory and research of contemporary scholarsand develop approaches to literature and composition based on readings and dramaexperiences. Preq: Senior standing or consent ofinstructor.

MUSIC 680: Audio EngineeringII Advanced course in musictechnology focused on music production integrating digital audio and virtualinstruments Prerequisite(s): MUSIC 380

THEA 697: ScenePaintingPractical study of basicpainting techniques for the theatre including layout, proper use of materials,painting styles and texturing techniques.

CP SC 614: Human and ComputerInteraction Survey of human and computerinteraction, its literature, history and techniques. Covers cognitive and socialmodels and limitations, hardware and software interface components, designmethods, support for design, and evaluation methods. Prerequisite(s): CP SC 212and 215

CP SC 616: 2D Game EngineDesign Introduction to the tools andtechniques necessary to build 2-D games. Techniques draw from subject areas suchas software engineering, algorithms and artificial intelligence. Students employtechniques such as sprite animation, parallax scrolling, sound, AI incorporatedinto game sprites and the construction of a game shell. Prerequisite(s): CP SC212 and 215

CPSC 619: Physically BasedAnimation Physically-based modeling anddynamic simulation techniques as used for the automatic description of motionand geometry for animation and computer graphics. A variety of approaches areexplored, with a special emphasis on the use of particle-systems to representcomplex phenomena. Prerequisite(s): CPSC405

StudioMethod DPA 808: AdvancedAnimation The foundation principles ofthe production of computer animation, from original concept development andcharacter design, through rigging of articulated figures, character animationmethods, and digital cinematography. Prerequisite(s): CPSC807

DPA 819: Physically BasedEffects The use of physically-baseddynamic simulation techniques in the production of digital special effects. Thecourse will emphasize tools, techniques and pipeline. Laboratory assignmentswill be done using both commercial software and student's custom code.Prerequisite(s): CPSC 619 o

PSYCH 823: Perception, Cognition, andTechnologyFundamentals of sensory andperceptual processes focusing on human vision and audition. Emphasis is onperceptual aspects of applications and communication in electronic andtraditional media. Topics include perception of speech, time, depth, color andmotion in natural and virtual environments, as well as psychophysics, attention,eye movements and reading.

Studio &ThesisDPA 860: Digital ProductionStudio The digital production studioprovides the student with the opportunity to develop as accomplished visualproblem solvers in a team setting. As part of the studio experience, studentswill complete 12 credits working on a team-oriented production project, in whichthey will take a project from concept through a finished piece. This will givethem the experience of working on a goal-oriented artistic team. Students begintheir studio sequence taking the studio course for only one credit each semesterof their first year. This provides new students with a familiarization to theteam process workflow, while still allowing them to concentrate on coursework todevelop core skills and knowledge. After the end of their first two semesters,they work on a team project, for two consecutive terms, either summer-fall orfall-spring. The digital production studio will include regular class meetings,under faculty supervision, providing the vehicle for planning, critique, andpresentation of ongoing project work. Although a large majority of a student’sstudio work will be undertaken outside of class, active participation in classis crucial to a successful studio experience, and isrequired.

DPA 880: Graduate ResearchStudio The graduate research studioprovides the student with the opportunity to complete a major project orprojects, under the guidance of a faculty advisor, in a direction supportingtheir personal goals and aspirations. All students will complete 6 credits ofresearch studio. Such work may be team oriented or individually oriented, andmay be of a technical or of an artisticnature.

DPA 891: M.F.A.Thesis The M.F.A. thesis course consists of a studio project,undertaken with the guidance of the student’s advisor and thesis committee. Thethesis project is developed to a refined degree, articulated in the form of awritten document, and presented orally in a thesis defense. The project isintended to elaborate and refine a theme that the student has begun to explorein the elective coursework and the production and researchstudio.